Purple vs Ghostbed: Complete Comparison Guide to the Best Mattress

This in-depth, unbiased guide is a Sleeping Ninjas showdown between Ghostbed vs Purple to help you select the best mattress. Disclosure: Sleeping Ninjas has an affiliate relationship with some companies where we get a small percentage of sales if you click over from our site.

Compatibility with nearly any flat surface including platform beds, slatted frames, or even the floor

A 4-layer hybrid construction that offers the best qualities of several different materials

A 20-year limited warranty

High-density supportive base layer

Industry-leading cooling properties and technology

Let’s dive into our comparison review of Purple vs Ghostbed, two leading mattress options, and see who comes out on top.

Construction: What’s Each Mattress Made Out Of?

Different mattress materials offer different qualities and amenities. When you find yourself shopping for a new mattress, you’ll want to consider what the mattress is made out of to determine if it’s the best choice to fit your individual needs.

Let’s take a look at the construction of Ghostbed vs Purple.

Purple Construction

The Original Purple Bed is a hybrid mattress option that combines the best qualities of a few different materials in an attempt to provide consumers with the best mattress possible. The Purple mattress features 4 individual layers that all work together as one great mattress.

The Purple Smart Comfort Grid – The very top layer of the Purple mattress features the unique Smart Comfort Gird that’s completely exclusive to the Purple mattress. This distinct grid has been specially designed by scientist to provide what could be considered the best in pressure relief and joint cradling. Unlike memory foam or other materials that only squish under pressure, the Smart Comfort Grid has been designed to actually collapse in on itself under your body weight. This means that the grid perfectly molds and conforms to each individual curve and shape of every unique body. It’s also common for mattresses to be equipped with zoned support—specific areas of the mattress that feature firmer or softer materials to allow for support where you need it.

While this practice is certainly beneficial, it forces you to remain on a certain spot of the mattress to reap the benefits. The Purple mattress avoids this problem altogether with their proprietary Comfort Grid, allowing users to lie anywhere on the mattress and still receive the same level of comfort and support. In addition to the cradling properties, the grid is designed to remain firm in the areas that aren’t under pressure and bounce back to its original shape quickly and efficiently.

Soft, High-Density Polyurethane Foam – Underneath the top Smart Comfort Grid is a layer of soft, yet high-density polyurethane foam that is Certi-PUR US Certified against emissions and for indoor air quality. This layer has been designed to enhance the overall performance of the grid above. This foam layer guarantees that the joints have a soft, comfortable surface to rest against through the grid. It also helps to increase the responsiveness and bounce-back of the grid.

Medium-Firm, High-Density Polyurethane Foam – The very bottom layer of The Original Purple Bed features a thick layer of medium-firm, high-density polyurethane foam that is also certified by Certi-PUR US for indoor air quality and against harmful emissions. This layer ensures that consumers get the support and stability they’re looking for out of their mattress. It reinforces the entire mattress, enhances the performance of the above layers, and provides a stable foundation to rest on.

Stretchy Knit Cover – Wrapping up the Original Purple bed is a super-stretchy, ultra-responsive, and extremely soft knit cover. The Purple mattress cover has been specially designed to work in combination with the Smart Comfort Grid. Its ultra-stretchiness allows the cover to mold and adapt with the Comfort Grid. This guarantees that you’ll be getting the best performance out of the Smart Comfort Grid, provides a soft, plush surface against the skin, and adds an extra layer of breathability.

The Purple mattress has scientifically engineered these individual layers, constructed with varying materials and high-quality, certified polyurethane foam, to come together into one great mattress that will satisfy the needs of a variety of customers.

Ghostbed Construction

The Ghostbed is a hybrid mattress option, offering the best qualities of a few different materials in 4 individual layers.

1 ½ Inch Latex Foam – The topmost layer of the Ghostbed mattress is constructed with 1 ½ inches, 3 ½ pounds of aerated latex foam. This layer features perforations in the foam that allow for the very best in breathability and airflow. Due to the latex construction, this layer is also naturally responsive and provide the mattress with adequate bounce-back, providing consumers with optimal plush comfort.

2 Inch Gel Memory Foam – The core of the Ghostbed mattress features 2 inches, 4 pounds of patent-pending gel memory foam. This layer is designed to provide users with all of the best qualities of memory foam—joint cradling and pressure relief—without the drawbacks such as heat retention. They use a special, proprietary formula that allows their memory foam to have larger cells, making it more responsive and far cooler than conventional memory foam options.

7 ½ Inch High-Density Base Layer – The bottom layer of the Ghostbed mattress is constructed of 7 ½ inches, 2 pounds of high-density base materials. This layer helps to guarantee that you’re getting the optimal level of firmness and support from your mattress, as well as reinforces the top layers and provides stability and durability.

Plush Cover – Wrapping up the Ghostbed mattress is a plush, super-soft, comfortable cover. It’s constructed with a blend of Certi-PUR US Certified polyester and viscose, lending it super soft, stretchy, and breathable against the skin.

Who Wins?

When comparing the construction of Purple vs Ghostbed, we have to give the win to Ghostbed by a hair. While we certainly appreciate the Smart Comfort Grid featured in the Purple mattress, the Ghostbed offers a combination of several different, high-quality materials that harness the best qualities they each have to offer.

Temperature Control

We all know how miserable it is to try to get any rest on a mattress that traps heat and sleeps hot. You’re left tossing and turning and waking up groggy and sweaty. It’s fairly commonplace for mattresses these days to be equipped with some sort of temperature control properties. However, some perform better than others.

In this category of our review, we’ll be comparing the temperature controlling properties of Purple vs Ghostbed.

Purple Temperature Control

The Purple mattress makes use of two of its features to safeguard against heat retention. The first layer of temperature control can be found in the scientifically-engineered Purple Smart Comfort Grid. The engineers of The Original Purple Bed designed the comfort grid with an open construction, made specifically to remain completely neutral in temperature no matter what the conditions. This open construction design allows for optimal breathability and airflow and it makes sure that no heat will be trapped against the body. It’s also been specially designed to wick away body heat and disperse it evenly and quickly to ensure that there aren’t any hot spots on your mattress.

The second layer of heat retention protection is the stretch knit cover encasing the entire Original Purple Bed. This cover is specially designed to be super-stretchy and breathable, allowing for even for airflow against the skin and enhancing the overall cooling performance of the Smart Grid.

Ghostbed Temperature Control

The Ghostbed mattress actually holds the title of the coolest mattress in the industry. They recognize that science has proven the need for temperature regulation to achieve the best sleep possible. So, the Ghostbed has made use of nearly every square inch of their mattress to accomplish just that.

The Ghostbed utilizes aerated latex foam in the top layer of their mattress that is designed to “breathe” in fresh air and disperse it over your body in response to movement. So, technically speaking, the Ghostbed’s cooling properties are motion activated! This layer also allows the mattress to adapt to each individual body type, size, shape, natural body heat, and sleeping position.

Underneath the latex foam layer is a layer of proprietary gel memory foam. Their foam has been specially formulated with larger, adaptive cells that offer constant, adequate airflow and real-time temperature control that’s exclusive to Ghostbed.

Wrapping up the Ghostbed mattress is a breathable cover that has been hand-crafted with micron fiber to ensure that the layer against your skin offers the utmost in breathability and plush comfort.

Who Wins?

When we compare the temperature control of Purple vs Ghostbed, Ghostbed definitely takes home the gold. Purple gives them a run for their money, but in the end, Ghostbed is the industry leader in cooling technology.

Overall Comfort: Firmness vs Softness

Obviously, there are quite a few things you want to take into consideration when you’re shopping for a new mattress. But, perhaps above all else, you want to make sure that it’s going to be comfortable. Mattresses aren’t known for being a cheap purchase, and you don’t want to be left forking out a big wad of cash for a mattress that ends up leaving you uncomfortable.

In this section, we’ll be taking a look at the comfort measures as well as the firmness to softness ratio offered by Purple vs Ghostbed.

Purple

The Original Purple Bed is a not-too-soft, not-too-firm mattress that’s described as a medium-firm option. It probably won’t suit the needs of consumers that are looking for an extremely soft or extremely firm mattress, but it is the most popular option among mattress shoppers because it’s made to provide the best of both worlds; plush softness and supportive firmness.

Thanks to the combination of the Purple Smart Comfort Grid and the soft, high-density polyurethane layer underneath, the Purple mattress can truly offer sleepers a comfortable, moldable sleeping surface no matter where they lay on the mattress. The medium-firm, high-density polyurethane foam that brings up the bottom of the Purple mattress guarantees that you’ll still be receiving that firm support that most consumers are looking for. A perfect combination that isn’t often achieved in competitors.

The Purple mattress also completely avoids the whole zoned support construction that it’s common in most mattresses. While this tactic certainly works, it leaves users stuck in a certain area of the mattress to reap the supportive benefits. This simply isn’t a problem with the Purple mattress thanks to the comfort grid. The grid spans the entire surface of the mattress, from one side to the other, and guarantees that no matter where you lay, you’ll get the same level of cradling comfort and support.

Ghostbed

The creators of the Ghostbed mattress took their jobs pretty seriously, spending years perfecting the firmness level and overall comfort of the Ghostbed. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the firmest, 1 the softest, the Ghostbed scores a 6.5. According to their research and testing, this is the most ideal firmness to softness ratio in a mattress to achieve proper support and optimal comfort.

The combination of gel memory foam and a thick, supportive base layer allows the Ghostbed to achieve this perfect balance. The memory foam layer cradles joints, pressure points, and problem areas while the high-density base layer ensures that you remain stable and supportive as well as distributes your weight evenly to guarantee the extended longevity of the mattress.

Who Wins?

When we consider the overall comfort of Ghostbed vs Purple, Purple has the leg up in this category. As you’ll note in our review category below, several users complain that while the Ghostbed is supposed to have a perfect firmness level, it’s still too hard. The Smart Grid featured in the Purple mattress allows for optimal comfort vs firmness.

Price: Purple vs Ghostbed

As we mentioned in the comfort category above, a new mattress can be a pretty big purchase. You want high-quality and good amenities, but you don’t want to be left breaking the bank if you don’t have to.

Below, we’ll compare the prices of Ghostbed vs Purple to determine which mattress will give you the best bang for your buck.

Considering the unique Smart Comfort Grid and the overall high-quality construction of the Purple mattress, you really can’t beat these prices. You can get a queen-size or under for under $1000 and you can upgrade your purchase from a king-size to a California king at no additional cost.

Ghostbed

With their queen-size option coming in at just over $100 less than $1000, the Ghostbed offers a great mattress for a fairly budget-friendly price.

Considering that the Ghostbed is a hybrid option offering tons of qualities and amenities as well as boasting the title of one of the coolest mattresses in the world, you certainly can’t beat their price tag.

Who Wins?

When it comes down to the price of Purple vs Ghostbed, Ghostbed is clearly the winnerwith their mattresses coming in at a couple hundred dollars cheaper than Purple while still offering fantastic amenities and high-quality construction.

Pros & Cons Of Purple vs Ghostbed

The technical details of your potential mattress choices are definitely important. Knowing what it’s made out of and what cooling properties it has to offer will only help you make a better-informed decision. However, one of the best ways to get a real feel for the mattresses you’re looking at is to take a look at the reviews. You can get actual opinions, experiences, and views on the product without ever having to make a purchase.

Here, we’ll be covering a few of the great, and a handful of the not-so-great reviews of Purple vs Ghostbed.

What Do Consumers Love About Purple?

The Original Purple bed definitely is not short on fantastic reviews. Consumers love the comfort, cooling properties, and even brag about Purple’s customer service. But, the biggest praise that the Purple mattress has received is the performance of the Smart Comfort Grid.

Reviewers rave that Purple truly does make good on its promise to provide users with a comfortable, cradling, yet supportive mattress. Consumers brag that the grid really does relax under pressure and delivers amazing pressure relief and moldable comfort under problem areas such as the hips and shoulders while remaining supportive and firm everywhere else. Purple also excels in the fact that users receive the same benefits no matter which area of the mattress they lie on or what position they sleep in.

A large percentage of Purple reviewers have even pointed out that they suffer from ailments such as arthritis or chronic back, neck, or hip pain and the Purple mattress has either greatly reduced or completely eliminated their pain and stiffness upon waking.

Pros

The Purple mattress is fairly durable as the makers specifically designed the comfort Grid to withstand regular wear and use

The Purple Smart Comfort Grid is designed to be compatible with every sleeping position

Reviewers rave that the Purple mattress truly does keep them cool, comfortable and completely dry all throughout the night

The Purple mattress is highly responsive with quick bounce-back thanks to the combination of the Smart Grid and polyurethane foam

The Purple mattress company offers a significant sleep trial as well as a decent warranty, ensuring customers that they stand behind their product

Where Does Purple Fall Short?

Most consumers are highly satisfied with the overall performance of the Smart Comfort Grid in the Purple mattress. But, a percentage of users noticed that it doesn’t perform well for users that are of a large or small weight. Larger-sized users complain that the grid simply collapses under their weight, and the underlying polyurethane foam layer is not firm enough to provide them with any support. They’re left simply sinking into the mattress. Consumers of a smaller stature have discovered that the grid doesn’t relax at all under their smaller weight, leaving them to lie on a surface that’s too hard and uncomfortable.

Cons

The Purple mattress company does not recommend using their mattress with a conventional box spring, as the springs can wear down and cause the mattress to sag

The Purple mattress is not constructed with edge support, leaving users susceptible to rolling off the bed and can cause premature break down if you sit on the edge of the mattress frequently

It can take up to 30 days for your body to completely acclimate to the Purple mattress and achieve optimal comfort

To guarantee proper performance as well as the validity of your warranty, the Purple mattress should only be used on a supportive frame

What Do Consumers Love About Ghostbed?

For the most part, users love their Ghostbed mattress. But, the biggest praise comes down to the cooling properties. Reviewers rave that the Ghostbed makes good on its promise to keep you cooler than any other mattress on the market. As a matter of fact, some consumers have even noted that the Ghostbed’s surface can be a little too cool!

Pros

The Ghostbed’s hybrid construction allows for ultimate responsiveness and very little to no motion transference

Based on the experiences Ghostbed users, their mattress shipped completely hassle-free and free of charge

According to Ghostbed users, the pressure relieving properties of the mattress actually make you feel like you’re floating

Based on Ghostbed reviews, the creator of the mattress hit the nail on the head when he set out to design a mattress that would alleviate neck and back pain, users rave that their stiffness and pain has been either greatly reduced or completely eliminated

Where Does Ghostbed Fall Short?

The designers of the Ghostbed spent several years working to perfect the level of firmness offered by their mattress. However, a percentage of users still feel like the mattress is a bit too hard for their liking. The Ghostbed is supposed to rate a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. But, some consumers find it to be way too firm. Some have found that they can achieve comfort with a separate mattress topper, while others have been forced to return their mattress.

Cons

The Ghostbed is delivered for free to your doorstep, but the company does not offer a white glove service, leaving buyers to set up the heavy mattress on their own

Users of a larger size have noticed that they sink into their Ghostbed and find it difficult to move around on the mattress

The Ghostbed is specifically designed for proper neck and spine alignment, making it great for side and back sleepers, but uncomfortable for those that tend to sleep on their stomach

Warranty: Ghostbed vs Purple

A good warranty should play a big role in your decision-making process when it comes to purchasing your new mattress. For one, a good warranty equates to a good mattress. Companies are happy to back their products when they trust them. But, you also don’t want to be left footing the bill for a mattress that breaks down prematurely. Not to mention, it’s pretty commonplace for companies to offer some sort of sleep trial to ensure that you love your mattress before making any final decisions.

Let’s take a look at the warranties offered by Ghostbed vs Purple.

Purple

The Purple mattress company offers its consumers a fairly standard sleep trail and warranty. You can take your Purple mattress home and use it for 100 nights to determine if it’s right for you. If you’re not completely satisfied with the Purple mattress, you can return it within 100 nights for a full refund and Purple will even pick the mattress up from your home. If you love your Purple purchase and decide to keep it, you’ll remain protected by a 10-year limited warranty.

Purple will repair or replace your mattress if it has any cracks, splits, or defects in the materials, or if it has a noticeable indention of 1” or greater. Purple does not take any responsibility for any damage resulting from improper use, extraordinary abuse, or mattresses purchased from unauthorized dealers or bought “as is”.

Ghostbed

The Ghostbed company offers a 101-night sleep trial as well as a 20-year limited warranty backed by Ghostbed’s mother company, Nature’s Sleep. They allow you to use your Ghostbed mattress in your home for 101 nights before you make any final decisions. Do note that Ghostbed’s sleep trial is invalid if you purchased the mattress through Groupon or another online voucher.

If you decide to keep your Ghostbed mattress, you’ll remain covered by a 20-year limited warranty. This offer sounds fantastic at first glance, but there are certain stipulations. The first 10 years of their warranty are fairly standard. Ghostbed will repair or replace your mattress if there’s an impression of 1” or greater provided it’s been used with a proper foundation, or any cracks in the latex or memory foam so long as it’s not due to improper use.

However, after the first 10 years of the warranty, the owner becomes responsible for some of the costs. If the warranty is used in the 11th year, the purchaser will be responsible for 50% of the original cost. That percentage goes up by 5% every year after until the 20-year mark when the warranty period is up.

Who Wins?

When we look at the details of the Ghostbed vs Purple warranty, we have to give the win to Ghostbed. While their 20-year warranty isn’t necessarily quite as spectacular as it seems at first glance, it is still considerably more than what’s offered by Purple.

About The Companies

The history of the company you’re buying from may not be a top concern. But, it’s never bad to get a roundabout idea of what the company stands for. How did they get started? Why mattresses? Have they won any awards or accreditations? What about charitable efforts?

Let’s dive into a few relative details about the Purple vs Ghostbed companies.

Purple

Tony and Terry Pearce, a literal rocket scientist and a comfort tech genius, founded the Purple mattress company in 2013. Though, their inventing days began well before that. In 1989, the Pearce brothers began work on their invention that would eventually culminate to the Purple mattress we know today. They invented a material called Floam that has been used in everything from neonatal preemie nests to padding in wheelchairs. Eventually, the two brothers put their heads together, using everything they know about inventing and comfort, and came up with a supportive yet comfortable mattress that would fit the needs of virtually every sleeper. It took them a few years to iron out all the wrinkles, invent a mass production machine called the Mad Max, and finally start cranking out Purple mattresses in 2016.

Ghostbed

The Ghostbed mattress company was founded by Marc Werner. Werner’s family certainly wasn’t new to the inventing concept. As the founders of the Werner Ladder Company and inventors of the first aluminum and fiberglass ladder in the 1900’s – still holding the title of the best ladder company in the world, Marc Werner certainly hailed from a family of creators.

However, it wasn’t until 2001 that Marc found himself in a difficult position. Undergoing 3 neck surgeries left him in an extreme amount of pain, especially when trying to sleep. Werner quickly discovered that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to find a mattress that didn’t leave him waking stiff and in pain. He also found himself in the same position as many other mattress company founders, frustrated and fed up with the average mattress buying experience—bright lights and 10-second “sleep trials” all while being watched by pushy salesmen.

In 2015, Werner set out to solve both of his mattress problems. He created his own mattress and pillow that would provide ideal neck and spine alignment and allow for optimal comfort and set it all up with an online, direct-to-consumer company that did away with the showroom experience and cut out all the middleman costs. Allowing shoppers to purchase a high-quality, comfortable mattress without all the hassle and a budget-friendly price tag.

What’s The Final Conclusion of our Purple vs Ghostbed Review?

It boasts the label of the coolest mattress in the industry, a fantastic hybrid construction that harnesses the best qualities of all the best materials, and though some find it a bit too firm, most consumers are highly satisfied with the level of comfort they receive from the Ghostbed—and all at a much more budget-friendly cost than its Purple competitor.